Vijender Singh eyes knockout win in maiden title defence against Francis Cheka

New Delhi [India], Dec. 2 (ANI):Indian bowing sensation Vijender Singh has said that he will be eyeing a knockout win when he takes on former world champion Francis Cheka to defend his WBO Asia Pacific Super Middleweight championship title at the Thyagaraj Sports Complex on December 17. The 30-year-old Haryana boy secured his maiden Asia Pacific title with a win against Australian Kerry Hope in July this year. Undefeated Vijender Singh has now set his sights on delivering a similar victory in front of home crowd when he makes his first title defence of the WBO Asia Pacific Super middleweight title. Vijender and his trainer Lee Beard are setting up a perfect game plan to make sure that there is not a single move returned without an answer. Lee is making Vijender go through a rigorous training session for around 8-10 hours a day, which is a combination of various exercises along with his normal training process including sparring with some top British boxers. Reflecting on the same, Vijender said "I have to win and win in good fashion, so that means a knockout. I don't know how far he is willing to go, how much he is willing to take. I am very well aware of the kind of challenge that lies ahead of me, Cheka is very experienced but I am also putting in double the efforts. Lee and I have a perfect game plan in place to make sure that I have an answer to every punch every hit that Cheka has to throw at me. We have been working on my punches and training for almost 2 months now. I am very confident that my plan against him will work out well. Meanwhile, Francis Cheka is also going through some grilling training sessions and following a regime of 40-round workout session. His trainer has put him on a routine to match up to Vijender's punches. But Vijender is eyeing his first knockout title win in front of home crowd against Francis Cheka. Commenting on recent statement given by Francis Cheka regarding teaching a boxing lesson to Haryana lad, Vijender has a smirk on his face and answers, "I think he is kind of overlooking me. He is going to have the answers in the first 2-3 rounds of our fight on 17th December. Cheka thinks he is fighting nobody, I have just started my professional boxing career and I already have 6 knockouts, it's not that easy to get all the wins in one go. I will show Cheka what his place is, he can't come to my country and challenge me for my own title. I think he doesn't know about me very well, maybe I should ask his well-wishers to give him more information on me." "Till date all seven boxers I have faced in the professional ring, have challenged me in their own aggressive way but my punches have successfully replied to them in my own style. This time I am confident of giving tough time to Francis Cheka," Vijender added. In reply to Cheka's preparation, Lee commented on Vijender's training, "I have put Vijender on high intensity workout since this is the first time he is fighting a World Champion boxer. It is important that Vijender has a reply to every punch that is thrown at him in the ring. Considering Cheka has already fought 43 bouts, he definitely has more experience than Vijender and he needs to step up to that level. He is training very hard and has been sparring 12 rounds with 3 different guys and also concentrating on strength and conditioning work". "We have of course been adjusting things to suit opponent Francis Cheka, a very experience operator and a fighter who has been involved in some big fights, so him fighting Vijender in India wont faze him. We have been working on various things which I believe will be effective against Cheka. I have made a combination of exercises and sparring for Vijender to increase his stamina along with making his punches stronger. I believe Vijender is going to perform very well on the night and produce another great display showing how smart he is as a fighter and he will win in a style,"said Lee Beard. Cheka is Vijender's most experienced opponent to date and will prove a stern test for the big-hitting Indian boxer. Vijender currently has a record of seven out of seven wins with 6 knockouts. (ANI)